Komatsu and Cummins are celebrating the delivery of the 100th MCRS repower engine module to their partner Rio Tinto in a ceremony that also saw the handover of $19,400 to mental health awareness organisation Beyond Blue.

The celebration and Beyond Blue cheque handover ceremony took place May 20 at Komatsu’s Welshpool facility in Perth, where its mining equipment is prepared before transport to customers, and where parts and components are held and serviced.

Since mid-2017, Rio Tinto, Cummins and Komatsu have been working together on a new technology roadmap that will see Komatsu 830E and 930E haul trucks – including autonomous trucks – operating in the Pilbara region of north Western Australia, upgraded with the latest technology Cummins QSK60 MCRS Advantage Plus engines.

This new technology allows the engines to achieve higher horsepower with fewer turbochargers, while service life between repowers is predicted to be 36,000-40,000 hours, up from 28,000-36,000 hours, delivering lower life-cycle costs.

"The productivity benefits delivered through this programme would not have been possible without the ongoing support of Komatsu and Cummins’ technical and commercial teams," Rio Tinto Iron Ore general manager asset management and engineering services, Heath Harnden, says.

According to Glenn Swift, Komatsu’s GM western region, the project is a reflection of Komatsu’s philosophy of advancing through technology and continuous improvement the safety and operational efficiency of its product lines.

"It demonstrates how we aim to continually support our customers with their specific and ever-changing requirements," Swift says.

"This highly successful project is testament to the approach and technical ability of key people from each company, working together initially to demonstrate their faith in the product capabilities – and which has been borne out by the results achieved so far.

"Working together, the three partner companies in this project are also facilitating additional resource requirements for the economy of WA – which in turn is helping generate additional jobs, along with enhanced job security for those already involved with the engine rebuild and install project."

Dean Visaggio, Cummins product support manager RTIO, says his company’s support for the Beyond Blue fundraising initiative reflected its concern for the communities it worked in.

"At Cummins we truly care about each other and the communities we work in, and we have a growing concern that anxiety and depression is on the increase, especially in our industry with FIFO workforces and remote regional communities," he says.

"We applaud the work that Beyond Blue has done in increasing the awareness of anxiety and depression, and in providing their services to assist those in need.

"We are very grateful for Beyond Blue’s efforts, and in support of this charity Cummins has partnered together with Rio Tinto and Komatsu to assist with raising money for this great cause."